More than 114,000 people were admitted to Irish hospitals without beds in 2025, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. The INMO reported that over 1,248 of these patients were children, highlighting the severity of the healthcare system’s capacity crisis.
“Another year has passed with an unacceptable increase in the number of patients being treated on trolleys, chairs and other inappropriate places,” said INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha. “We must not allow the public anger that arises from repeated failures in planning across the health service to be directed at nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals.”
Ní Sheaghdha acknowledged a slight reduction in the number of patients seeking treatment in inappropriate hospital settings but expressed serious concern about the reliance on surge beds without proper staffing levels. She emphasized that urgent steps must be taken to address the country’s healthcare workforce shortage, which continues to strain the system’s ability to provide adequate patient care.
The statistics reveal significant pressure on individual hospitals across the country. University Hospital Limerick was the busiest facility in 2025, treating 22,473 patients without beds. University Hospital Galway saw 11,630 such patients, while Cork University Hospital admitted 10,113 people without available bed spaces.
The figures underscore ongoing challenges in Ireland’s healthcare system, including inadequate bed capacity, insufficient staffing, and planning failures that have persisted despite repeated calls for reform. The INMO continues to advocate for systemic changes to address these issues and ensure patients receive care in appropriate settings with adequate resources and staffing.